Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Nonreligious
A Scientologist’s Thoughts on the “C”-Word

A Scientologist’s Thoughts on the “C”-Word

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 4:56 pm by ScientologyBeliefs

A Scientologist’s Thoughts on the “C”-Word 2018-08-16T16:56:33-07:00 ScientologyBeliefs

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Scientologist Leland Thoburn on why we should erase the “C”-word from our vocabulary, originally published on STAND (Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination) and published here with its permission.

I’m telling you to stop using the word “cult.” The “C”-word. Just stop it.

Why? I challenge you—if you can show me a sentence where the word “cult” isn’t demeaning, I’ll back off. Write to me here.

Monks walking up steps

Photo by Michael Arnault/Shutterstock.com

Everyone knows of the problem with the “N”-word. “LGBTQ” is now used in place of a lexicon of crass and cruel calumnies. Think of ANY ethnic minority and you can probably recall a derogatory generality for that group. All those words do is trespass on brotherhood and compassion.

The “C”-word is simply another such slur. So stop using it. But beyond that, stop thinking with it. People are people. If you use the “C”-word, or think with it, you stop treating them as people. You treat them instead as an amorphous generality. I’m not saying people don’t do unrealistic things and hide behind odd groups and ideas. Of course they do.

But so what if people believe whatever it is they’re going to believe? As long as they don’t stomp on your right to believe whatever you want to believe, SO WHAT? Does everyone have to fit into your definition of the universe? That’s just majority-rules thought police. That’s mob-think. Don’t look now, but that’s exactly what you think a cult does. And mob-think is what brought us the Salem witch trials, World War II, and probably all of man’s atrocities.

When a man in a saffron robe offers you a flower outside the airport, do you think “cultist”? If so, you’ve been brainwashed. That’s another human being.

You may believe that human beings are no better than animals—possibly high-grade, but animals just the same—and that one lifetime is all you get. I happen to believe that the life force in each of us is spiritual and does not die with the body. Right now, in America, I’m in a minority. Someday, hopefully not. So what happens when I’m in the majority? Do you really want me to consider you crazy, to permit bloodletting, death and grief to befall you just because yours is the minority view? If there’s anything we know from history, it’s that circumstances change.

How about a better paradigm?

You respect me, and I’ll respect you. We’ll probably learn to like each other in the process.

Here’s an idea: any consideration you’re holding that puts distance between you and your fellow man—ditch it.

The Waco siege

The Branch Davidian Mount Carmel Center in flames near Waco, Texas.

In 1993, 80 Branch Davidians (and four ATF agents) died because the anti-cult movement convinced the media and the federal government that the people living in that compound were a “cult”—wacko, unable to be communicated with, strange beyond belief, and that the only way to deal with them was with force, all demonstrable lies. As a result, 21 children and 59 adults were gassed, incinerated, suffocated, shot and crushed to death by tanks in their home outside of Waco, Texas.

Prejudice has a price.

Tolerance isn’t passive. It takes practice. It takes exercise. If someone wants to give you a flower, or a Bible, or a Dianetics book, and you don’t want it, just say no. What harm done? Wow, are they different, you may think. OK. But don’t recoil. God help us if we all settled in to watch the same “The Big Bang Theory” reruns at the same time each week.

As a whole, our society is making tremendous inroads against prejudice. The list of previously denigrated groups that are now recognized and respected is constantly growing.

The last great frontier is religious diversity.

It starts with the words we use.

Previous Post

July 25, 2018

In Their Own Image: Psychiatry’s Attack on Religion

Next Post

August 16, 2018 Disney: It Was Dopey All Along

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category anti-Scientology hate Church of Scientology Citizens Commission on Human Rights Community activities conflict Coronavirus critics David Miscavige Dianetics Discrimination Documentary Showcase Drug Prevention fake news families Florida Foundation for a Drug-Free World Freewinds religious retreat holidays Hollywood Village homeschooling kids during the coronavirus lockdown How I Became a Scientologist human rights I Am a Scientologist Ideal Scientology Organizations Interfaith L. Ron Hubbard media Meet a Scientologist Neighborhood Cleanups Psychiatry Religion Religious Freedom Religious Studies Scientologist Scientologists Scientology Scientology Beliefs Scientology cathedral Scientology celebration Scientology Humanitarian Campaigns Scientology Media Productions Scientology Mission Scientology Network Scientology Parent Scientology TV Scientology Volunteer Ministers STAND Stay Well The Way to Happiness tolerance Truth About Scientology Uncategorized Voices for Humanity What is Scientology? What Scientology is all a out Youth for Human Rights

Select a Month March 2025 October 2024 July 2024 May 2024 April 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 September 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 November 2021 September 2021 August 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 February 2016 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 October 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 December 2013 August 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Old Testament prophet predicted the suffering of the Messiah?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Micah Ezekiel Isaiah Jeremiah